Principles of Comparative Politics
- William Roberts Clark - Texas A&M University, USA
- Matt Golder - Pennsylvania State University, USA
- Sona Nadenichek Golder - Pennsylvania State University, USA
Introduction to Comparative Politics
Among other things, the updates to this edition include a thoroughly-revised chapter on dictatorships that incorporates a discussion of the two fundamental problems of authoritarian rule: authoritarian power-sharing and authoritarian control; a revised chapter on culture and democracy that includes a more extensive examination of cultural modernization theory and a new overview of survey methods for addressing sensitive topics; a new section on issues related to electoral integrity; an expanded assessment of different forms of representation; and a new intuitive take on statistical analyses that provides a clearer explanation of how to interpret regression results. Examples from the gender and politics literature have been incorporated into various chapters, the Problems sections at the end of each chapter have been expanded, a! nd the empirical examples and data on various types of institutions have been updated. Online videos and tutorials are available to address some of the more methodological components discussed in the book. The authors have thoughtfully streamlined chapters to better focus attention on key topics.
Supplements
SAGE edge for Instructors supports teaching by making it easy to integrate quality content and create a rich learning environment for students.
- Test banks provide a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding
- Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for the course
- Lecture notes summarize key concepts by chapter to ease preparation for lectures and class discussions
“Principles of Comparative Politics is a very comprehensive, rigorous, and detailed text. It is logically and effectively organized, across and within chapters. One of its strengths is the way the text discusses the strengths and weaknesses of different types of institutions and introduces students to debates in the literature. I will continue to assign the textbook so students are made to engage with the heated and continuing debates in political science.”
“It is both my opinion and a majority of students’ opinion that Principles of Comparative Politics clearly and concisely presents and describes theories and concepts. From my experience, the book is clearer than most of the alternatives focused on Comparative Politics. From the student’s experience, the book is clearer than many similar texts they have read in Political Science and other disciplines. I believe the book manages to cover many of the relevant themes in Comparative Politics within a logical and interesting framework; as part of a more relevant discussion of the differences in democracy and dictatorships.”
“The key strength to Principles of Comparative Politics is the theoretical approach. This is the best undergraduate text I have found within both Comparative and International Relations for introducing the scientific method and recent research. I feel that students leave this textbook understanding what political science truly is and what differentiates this field from area specialists. In addition, the book also acts as a comprehensive primer to rational choice theory, and is a great text to be used as a supplement to a rational choice class if looking for a substantive example.”
“After more than 20 years in the profession, Principles of Comparative Politics is truly the first textbook that will pave the way to establish norms on how to teach Introduction to Comparative Politics. Traditional method is outdated and too historical. This textbook provides an introduction to the ‘science of politics.’”
Sage College Publishing
